In Memory of Ronald D. Nyren
Ronald "Ron" David Nyren, age 89, a resident of Frederic, WI, passed away on August 31, 2023, at the Frederic Nursing & Rehab Center.
Ron was born to David and Bessie Nyren on May 26, 1934, in Siren, WI. He was the second of four children. He attended Mudhen Lake and Wood Creek elementary schools, but prior to Ron’s senior year, his family moved to Blue Earth, MN. He stayed in Siren with family friends and graduated from Siren High School in 1952. After graduation, he moved to Blue Earth and worked as a farm laborer for Stokley- Van Camp. He also worked briefly at Honeywell in Minneapolis. Since the Korean War was happening, they would only give him a position pushing a cart delivering parts in the factory, so he decided to enlist in the Army.
Ron served in the US Army from January 5, 1953, until he was honorably discharged on December 15, 1954. During his enlistment he was stationed in Germany for the majority of the time. Ron often talked of the places he’d been able to see, the friends he’d made and was proud of the time he’d served. He frequently joked with his son-in-law Jim about being a bus driver because he was enlisted in the Air Force. The two of them had a special connection because of their military experience and that they’d both been stationed in Germany.
After the service, Ron returned to Blue Earth and took a position working as a mechanic at Smith Implement. While living and working in Blue Earth, Ron would frequently return to the Siren area to see friends and go to dances at Indian Creek. This is where he met the love of his life, Cecelia Meyer, in August of 1955. They were married a short 8 months later on April 21, 1956, at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in Frederic. After their wedding, Cecelia joined him down in Blue Earth.
In April of 1957, Ron and Cecelia welcomed their first child Ronda Marie. It wasn’t long after her birth that they moved back to the Frederic area where he got a job at Frederic Motors. On December 24, 1958, their second child, Daniel David, was born. Two additional children were born over the following three years: Darrel Andrew, November 21, 1960, and Thresa Ann on March 8, 1962.
Ron continued to work as a mechanic at several different places in the Frederic and Luck, WI area, including Palmberg’s Implement, Farmers Union, and Luck Midland Co-op. He also frequently had neighbors and friends call to have him repair their tractors. He switched careers a bit and took a position at Rocket Gas where he repaired furnaces and delivered LP gas. Rocket Gas was bought out by Lakes Gas and this was the last full-time position he’d have. In 1977, Ron suffered a major head trauma accident while working with a skid steer at his daughter Ronda’s farm.
After his injury and their youngest daughter, Thresa, graduated from high school, Ron and Cecelia started traveling more. They eventually bought a mobile home in Eufaula, AL, on the Walter George Reservoir—which is part of the Chattahoochee River—where they spent winters for many years. In the summer, they would come back to their log cabin which the family built from trees near Danbury, WI on the Yellow River.
The grandchildren have many fond memories of spending time up at the cabin with Grandpa and Grandma. They also spent lots of time at Grandpa and Grandma’s house near Frederic. Grandpa loved his time with the grandchildren and ultimately sold both the place in Eufaula and the cabin so he could be nearby all the time.
Ron always enjoyed having and being around horses, especially work horses. He had a team of Belgian mares and raised many Belgian foals and mules over the years. Ron especially enjoyed when he could take the grandchildren or friends on a hay or sleigh ride. There were lots of great memories made by everyone during those rides.
There were many hobbies that Ron enjoyed throughout his life, from deer hunting with the Meyer clan, goose hunting trips to Canada with his brother Doug, ice fishing, coon hunting and fishing trips to Canada with his son-in-law Roger and the FFA boys. He instilled this same love of outdoor sports in his children. He also enjoyed camping, which initially started out with a tent and air mattresses that would go flat overnight. The family camping evolved into a couple different homemade campers, a StarCraft tent trailer and eventually just a camper on the back of his truck when the kids were grown. Almost every weekend in the summer was spent camping somewhere. There were even several long trips taken camping with family and friends.
Ron’s health declined significantly in 2021 which resulted in him becoming a resident at the Frederic Nursing home. It took him a few months to adjust to living there, but once he did, he thoroughly enjoyed the company of the other residents and staff.
Ron was preceded in death by his father, David Nyren; mother, Bessie (Nyren) Camp; stepfather, Cliff Camp; sister, Lucille Green; brothers-in-law, Leonard Green, Harold Davids and John Millermon; father-in-law, Andrew Meyer; mother-in-law, Ella Meyer; and son-in-law, Roger Thompson.
He will be greatly missed by his loving wife of 67 years, Cecelia; children, Ronda, Dan (Vickie), Darrel (Sue) and Thresa (Jim); 17 grandchildren, Jay (Melissa), Jacob (Motoko), Jackie, Janita (Steve), Jari (Marty), Jamie (Conrad), Ethan, Eric, Andrea (Tom), Krista (Walter), Trisha (Tony), Ronald (Marti), Erin (Shane), Matthew (Tory), Ashley, Trevor (Stephanie), Devin; 33 great grandchildren; siblings, Doug (Midge) Nyren and Karen Davids; sister-in-law, Margaret Millermon; brothers-in-law, John (Cindy) Meyer and Joe (Laura) Meyer; several nieces, nephews, cousins and family friends.
Mass will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 11:00 AM (visitation from 10-11 AM) at St. Dominic's Catholic Church in Frederic, WI, with Military Honors. Interment will follow the luncheon at the Siren Lakeview Cemetery with pallbearers Jacob Thompson, Tim Thompson, Ethan Bergstrom, Eric Bergstrom, Ronald Brandt and Matthew Ludack. Honorary pallbearers are grandson Jay and great grandsons.
Arrangements were entrusted to Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home.
Last Update: Sep 07, 2023 1:09 pm CDT